THE UEETERS. 417 



in Cyclop, of Anat. and Phys. ; G. Hcaiiey, in tlie Lancet, June, 1858 ; Duckworth, 

 in St. Bartholomew's Hosp. Reports, 1865 ; Moers, in Virchow's Archiv, 1861, 

 vol. xxis. p. 336 ; J. ^Vmold, Virchow's Ai-chiv, 1866, vol. xxxv. p. 64 ; v. Brunn, 

 Ai-ch. f. mikr. Anat. viii. ; Eberth., Strieker's Handbook ; Leydig, Kolliker Luschka, 

 and Henle, in their Handbooks. 



Function. — Nothing is kno'mi positively Tvith regard to the function of the 

 suprarenal capsules. The opinion which has met with most acceptance among 

 physiologists is that these bodies belong to the class of blood-vascular glands, 

 and exert some influence upon the elaboration or disintegration of nutritive 

 material. Bergmann, however, who was the first to point out the richness of 

 then* nervous supply, suggested that they were parts of the sympathetic nervous 

 system, and in this opinion he has been followed by Leydig and Luschka ; while 

 Kolliker states that, ui^on anatomical grounds, he is inclined to consider the 

 cortical and medullaiy portions as functionally different ; the former belonging 

 to the group of vascular or ductless glands, the latter appearing to be an appa- 

 ratus appertaining to the nervous system. Brown-Sequard found that injuries 

 to the spinal cord in its dorsal region produced congestion and subsequent hyper- 

 trophy of the suprarenal bodies. Addison has sho-um that a bronzed tint of skin, 

 together with progressive emaciation and loss of strength, is to be found in con- 

 junction with various forms of disease more or less involving and altering the 

 structure of these bodies. 



THE URETERS. 



The ureters are two tubes which conduct the urine from the kidneys 

 into the bladder. The dihited commencement of each, situated in 

 the pelvis of the kidney and into which the calices pour their con- 

 tents, has already been described. Towards the lower part of the hilus 

 of the kidney the pelvis becomes gradually contracted, and opposite the 

 lower end of the pland, assuming the cylindrical form, receives the 

 name of ureter. These tubes extend downwards to the posterior and 

 under part or base of the bladder, into which they open, after passing 

 obliquely through its coats. 



The ureters measure from fourteen to si.Kteen inches in length ; 

 their ordinary width is about that of a goose-quill. They are frequently, 

 however, dilated at intervals, especially near the lower end. The 

 narrow^est part of the tube, excepting its orifice, is that contained in the 

 walls of the bladder. 



Each ureter passes, at first, obliquely downwards and inwards, to. 

 enter the cavity of the true pelvis, and then curves forwards and 

 inwards, to reach the side and base of the bladder. In its wdiole course, 

 it lies close behind the peritoneum, and is connected to neighbouring 

 parts by loose areolar tissue. Superiorly, it rests upon the psoas 

 muscle, and is crossed, very obliquely from within outwards, below the 

 middle of the psoas, by the spermatic vessels, which descend in front of 

 it. The right ureter is close to the inferior vena cava. Lower down, 

 the ureter passes either over the common or the external iliac vessels, 

 behind the termination of the ileum on the right side and the sigmoid 

 flexure of the colon on the left. Descending into the pelvis, it enters, 

 the fold of peritoneum forming the corresponding posterior false liga- 

 ment of the bladder, and, reaching the side of the bladder near the base 

 {u. fig. 304), runs downwards and forwards in contact with it, below 

 the obliterated hypogastric artery, and is crossed upon its inner side, 

 in the male, by the vas deferens (/), which passes down between the 

 ureter and the bladder. In the female, the ureters run along the sides: 



